Poor Encoding and Weak Early Consolidation Underlie Memory Acquisition Deficits in Multiple Sclerosis: Retroactive Interference, Processing Speed, or Working Memory?

Learning and memory impairments are common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and may be related to difficulty acquiring (encoding or consolidating) new information. We evaluate the role of retroactive interference and investigate whether minimizing interference immediately following encoding (early during consolidation) will improve MS participants' ability to remember new verbal information. Additionally, we investigate processing speed differences between memory-impaired and unimpaired participants and present an exploratory analysis of how the dual-components of working memory (capacity vs. processing) relate to memory impairment.